The beauty of the way a dog shows love is endearing, positive and unconditional. It’s simple, sweet, and loyal. When you wake up in morning, before you can even yawn, your dog is wagging their tail, looking at you like you’re the biggest treat ever created. They don’t ask for much in return, just to: eat, play, love, sleep.”
If humans followed the same simple way of life there would be much less conflict in the world, and clearer communication between people, and in relationships. Animal Fair Media’s Wendy Diamond added; “If humans would just embrace simplicity life would be much more uncomplicated – here’s your food, sit, stay, roll over, and then you get a treat!”
Picture this: you come home from a long, stressful day at work. You’ve spent the day listening to others telling you what to do and complaining about one thing after another. You walk in the front door, plop down on the couch, and call your best friend, hoping to get a little relief. Instead, you get another earful of complaints, and being a good best friend, you can’t say anything about it. You finally get off the phone, more frustrated than you were before the call.
Now re-imagine this scene with a canine friend instead; you come home, and you get a face full of furry kisses. The only demand from your dog is for a treat and a belly rub. You sit on the couch with your furball, and talk about how bad your day was, while she looks at you with unconditional love and a big goofy grin on her face as you rub her ears. After you finish venting, the two of you curl up on the couch to catch up on the latest episode of Breaking Bad.
This is just one example of why dogs are better than people. Sure, they have some strange habits that our human companions (hopefully) don’t, like chewing our shoes or eating our underwear, but when it comes down to companionship, dogs take the cake (and will definitely eat it, too).
In today’s world, it’s hard to escape how important looks have become, thanks to the media. Dogs, however, will never be jealous of your looks. According to psychology professor Stanley Cohen, Ph.D., “jealousy and envy in dogs is not quite as complex as it is in human beings.” In one study, two dogs were both asked to give paw by the experimenter, but only one was rewarded. The behavior in the unrewarded dog disappeared much faster and “the dog that was not rewarded showed clear signs of stress or annoyance when its partner got the reward,” according to Cohen’s examination of the study. Dogs can and do get jealous why they feel they are being treated unfairly, but they do not feel this jealously the way that humans do.
Then there’s the issue of fights. We’ve all gotten into fights with our friends; sometimes you can’t help a fight that has been brewing for some time. People can usually be mature and move on from disagreements, but that’s not always the case, leaving the relationship irreparable. With dogs, this is not the case.
Dogs don’t use the same types of memory as humans do. Dogs don’t recall select events in the same way humans do. Dogs remember things according to space, procedure, and their instincts—he won’t remember that one time you denied him a treat because he peed all over the clean laundry. A study done in Budapest, Hungary, revealed that dogs have “declarative memory, which refers to memories which can be consciously recalled, such as facts or knowledge.” They can remember what behavior gets them a reward and which doesn’t, but they don’t remember the human emotions that go with that behavior.
And finally, our barking buds don’t hold grudges. Sure, Fido might be put off when you’re too worn out to go for the usual three-mile walk, but by the time bedtime rolls around, you can be sure that he’ll be back in your bed, slowly shoving you toward the edge just like usual. Since they live in the present, dogs remember so much more quickly than humans why you’re the greatest person in their life.
We all know we need people in our lives, to be our friends and family and help us through the good and the bad. But we need dogs just as much, and their love comes unconditionally. No matter how many times we mess up or get mad at them for pooping on the carpet, they stay loyal to us and are always excited to show us how much love they have. We have a bond with our dogs that most people can only dream of having with another person—and if you do have this bond with someone, you are one of the lucky ones. Paws down!
For the rest of us, here’s to our loyal and loving canines that remind us how lucky and blessed we are every single day.
Dogs don’t care if you can’t fit in last year’s swimsuit or if you think your legs are too stubby. They don’t get jealous when you’re getting into shape and can eat that second hamburger (though they will put on their best puppy dog eyes to get you to share). They think you’re the best thing they’ve ever seen (besides a big, delicious dog bone, of course) and will love you even on days you don’t always love yourself.
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